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BEFORE

ALEXANDER

“H ey, man.” My best friend’s voice came through the speaker on my phone.

“Hey, mate! I was wondering if I could take you up on your offer to spend the last week of summer break with ya?” I asked while packing a bag up. I had been bouncing around Europe all summer break and Matteo had offered his family’s home up for me to land for some stability before we shipped out for the first races. In all honesty I could use the slow pace and the quiet. I had been all over for photo shoots and vacation spots and could use some time out of the spotlight. I should’ve listened to Matteo when he said it was an open invitation for the whole break. We still had six days before we had to gear up for the next Grand Prix, and while my blood buzzed with the urge to get back in the game, my body was begging for the rest I hadn’t allowed myself since the break began.

“Yeah, man. There’s just some things going on, my sister is in town.”

“That’s great, buddy, I knew you were hoping to see her over break! I thought she lived in the city?” I asked, still preoccupied with folding clothes.

“Yeah, she’s, uh, home now.” Matteo let out a gruff sigh. That was never good. I stopped what I was doing and grabbed my phone off the table and sat down.

“Is everything okay?” I asked. It was rare for Matteo to be anything other than happy and chipper, but he loved his family fiercely and was extremely protective of his little sister.

“Fuck no, Alex, it’s bad. She’s in rough shape.”

“She and her man split?” I asked, rubbing my hand over my forehead. I knew his sister Lucia was engaged and lived in the city with her fiancé. We had met once or twice during hometown races for Matteo. She was strikingly beautiful, all long blonde hair and crystal green eyes, enough for any man to profess their love on the spot. Matteo had had some choice words for the boys after a few comments had been overheard during the first race she attended, and I had thrown a threat or two in for good measure.

And while I appreciated beauty, Lucia was an engaged woman and my best mate’s little sister. So admiring her beauty was as far as it would ever go.

“Alexander, he should be six feet fucking under the ground.” Matteo sounded angrier than I had ever heard him.

“The fuck you mean?” I asked, sitting up straighter. What had the fucking prick done to Lucia?

“It’s a mess, mate, I don’t know what to do.”

“I could have someone figure that out,” I suggested. Matteo sighed.

“No, Alex, you are not hiring someone to beat up my sister’s trash fiancé.”

“Ex-fiancé, hopefully?” I asked. Lucia was strong willed, but no one knows what’s going on behind closed doors, or how manipulative some men could be. My blood was boiling now, feeling the immense need to run off the rage crawling under my skin.

“Fuck, yes, ex-fiancé, the piece of shit thinks he can lay a hand on my baby sister?” He seethes. I suck in a breath. Fuck . That man deserved to be dead for ever laying a hand on a woman, let alone my best friend’s sister—the blonde windstorm who lit up rooms even brighter than Matteo’s annoyingly contagious positive attitude.

“What did he do?” I asked lowly.

“She’s fucked up, man, it’s...it’s awful.” His voice cracked. Fuck this . I would figure out where this scum lived, his security numbers, and make his life a living hell. I would ? —

“Yeah, mate, come as soon as you can. We could all use company and distraction, and Luce loves you.”

“I’ll leave today, brother. See you soon.” I hung up and immediately made a call to my “assistant”.

“Alexander.” Dante picked up immediately.

“I need information on Matteo’s sister’s fiancé.”

“You going after your best mate’s little sister, Wright? Not the best idea,” Dante replied with his accent thick on most words.

“No, I am going after the piece of shit that thinks he can lay a hand on a woman and get away with it,” I gritted out. The silence was deafening, and I could hear the tapping away at the computer.

“I’ll send over everything I have,” Dante replied. “Do you want me to ruffle some feathers?”

“Set the fucking bird on fire,” I replied before clicking the phone off. I threw some more clothes in my bag, not bothering with the rest and texting Dante, requesting the jet be ready in one hour.

* * *

It was dark by the time we landed, Dante had arranged for a car to be ready for me to drive to the DeLuca residence. After driving through country roads lined with trees, the DeLuca residence came into view; a large house situated on a hill surrounded by rolling land. Rows of grapevines and some olive fields flanked the sides of the drive that winded through the hills to the house atop it all. Matteo had deeply undersold the little winery his parents owned. It was jaw dropping and went on farther than my eyes could see. I drove up to the large stone pilasters flanking the iron gate and pressed the button on the call box.

“The DeLuca Winery is closed to tours currently,” a scratchy voice announced through the box.

“This is Alexander Wright, I am a family friend,” I replied. There was no response, only a click and the gates began to slide open. I shifted back into gear and drove up to the estate. Pulling up next to a car I didn’t recognize, I got out of the car and smiled toward the porch.

“Alexander.” Matteo exhaled, sitting on the bench on the porch with his sister. I walked up to them.

“Hey, mate.” I smiled and brought him in for a hug. Lucia looked up, and I tried not to suck in a breath. Deep purple and black bloomed around her right eye, and there was an angry red splotch on her check. A split lip. Fuck. Her eyes were sunken, looking like something had sucked the life right out of her.

She smiled up at me, her split lip tugging up regardless of the discomfort.

“Hey, Luce.” I smiled back and brought her in for a hug as well. She felt so small in my arms it was almost alarming. She was much smaller than she used to be, not that I gave a single shit how many kilos someone weighed, but this was clearly in a something is wrong way. That man deserved to die for this. No, not die, rot .

“You should see the other guy!” she lamely joked, shrugging her shoulders and sitting back down.

“I sure as shit would like to,” I replied with a grunt. “I wouldn’t be using my words.”

“Does it look that bad?” she asked, again seeming so damn small and fragile, her eyes welling up, making my damn heart break. This wasn’t the Lucia I knew, the Lucia that Matteo talked about daily. She was a spitfire, throwing sass and shade like it was her goddamn job. She demanded attention when she walked into a room and glowed—she fucking glowed. This, this was not that. I fucking hated it.

“Nah, Lucia, you’re still beautiful—as always,” I replied.

“Watch it.” Matteo shoved my arm. I rolled my eyes at my best mate.

“Don’t be so sensitive.” I laughed and sat down on the chair across from them.

Mr. and Mrs. DeLuca were long asleep, but we stayed up late talking. Matteo and I even got Lucia to laugh, and that alone made Matteo visibly relax. The cool mountain air was glorious as we talked over beers and Matteo and I swapped race stories. After a while, Lucia’s smile faded, as if the exhaustion was taking over or the weight of the day. She smiled sadly and said good night before trudging inside and leaving me and Matteo staring off into the open night sky.

“She’s pregnant,” Matteo whispered. The beer in my hand froze at my lips. Fuck .

“I won’t ever let that fucker near her, or the baby,” Matteo said, looking into the stars. “Ever.”

“He’ll have to go through us both, mate.” I could feel the rage simmer low in me. I did not take well to any man fucking with my family, and Matteo was family. So if anyone even thought about messing with his sister, they’d have to go through me first. No exceptions. I fired off another text to Dante, making it clear that deadbeat wasn’t welcome.

Now or ever.